What Kind Of Plumage Do Gulls Have?

Gulls have a succession of plumage stages that reflect their stage of maturity. These are described in terms of how old the gull is. A young bird has a juvenile plumage, then a first winter plumage, a second winter plumage, a third winter plumage and so on. Large species of gull take four years to develop their full adult plumage.

Nesting  but a bird with adult plumage is not necessarily fully sexually mature. The adult coloration shows that the bird has developed sufficient survival skills, particularly that they are able to hunt successfully for food. This acts as a signal to a prospective mate that they will make a good partner.

In times of crisis, however, hormonal changes in response to a need for rapid expansion of the colony allows birds with the juvenile plumage to be sexually mature and start nesting.